You could say the fog caused it. Or the abrupt curve caused it. Or the lateness of the hour caused it as he returned to their home with his small son. But whatever the cause, the car left the road, hurtled through the fog and hit the two foot thick oak with a terrible crash. The son was thrown clear and lay not moving. There was not a sound, not a movement, except the spewing of the radiator, until passing cars began to stop and the state police began to arrive. At first, they didn’t see the little form as they directed their attention to the grisly task of removing the body of the father from the twisted wreckage. Then they heard a sound… they saw a movement. “Dad! Dad! Dad!” he called. But there was no answer. There would be no answer!
It is always sad when a call does not receive an answer. Even God is saddened when He calls and there is no answer. “Therefore will I number you to the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called you did not answer; when I spoke you did not hear; but did evil before my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight.” (Isaiah 65:12) It must be the cause of unspeakable sorrow that our Father has such deep love for us, such concern for us, and pleads through His word and in so many providential ways to get our attention, and yet sends forth a call that receives no answer. In many cases, even in most cases, there is only a hollow, holy echo. The Lord Himself said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
Did you ever think how desperate would be our condition if God did not respond to our call? When God called Moses to lead the Israelites He explained, “I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them.” Acts 7:34. And on the Day of Pentecost, the apostle, Peter, quoting from the Old Testament prophet, Joel, said “And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21. The gift of Christ and the gospel are God’s answer to our call, unspoken in words but eloquent through our needs.
What is too often overlooked, is that our relationship with God must be a fellowship or communion that involves first our answering His call and then Him answering our call. He tells us in Proverbs 28:9 that if we turn from hearing His law, even our prayer is abomination. There is a whole lot of that going on, don’t you think?
